Do youths of different countries organize their beliefs about violations of human rights according to principles defined by experts or international organizations? This study explores how social psychological research provides an answer to that question. Social representations of human rights were investigated with the use of a questionnaire submitted to students aged 13 to 20 in four countries (Costa Rica, France, Italy and Switzerland). Results indicate that for the most part individuals adhere to an institutional definition of human rights. However, the extent to which limitations of individual freedom and governmental control were accepted varied greatly within and between countries.